I admit it: I’m a bit of a movie junkie. I’m spending far too many lots of $15 these days on films which are far from worth it, but I keep going! I don’t know whether that says more about my financial discipline or the quality of modern films but hey, I digress. This review focusses on one of the more popular cinema complexes in Auckland, the SkyCity ‘Metro’ complex on Queen Street. First off, don’t be fooled by the

Well think again! If you have a physical impairment and have always wanted to test your sea-legs (or sea-wheels, as the case may be), then keep reading. If, like me, you’re terrified of capsizing and being swallowed by a whale (anyone? ..no?), then click away now. Yes, I’m scared of whales Apparently, and admittedly completely unbeknowst to me, Auckland has the most active sailing programme for people with disabilities in the entire country! (For those in the Windy City of

I know this isn’t entirely NZ-focussed, but it’s a cool little movie this guy made and I’m all for giving credit where it’s due. And this kid deserves oodles of it, because it’s people like him, who are using new media in positive and powerful ways, which make people sit up and actually take notice. US teenager Benjamin Snow, 19, recently entered his short film ‘Thumbs Down To Pity’ in a film contest created by the United Nations, ‘Film Your

I think people who smoke are silly in the first place, but new research has shown that if you smoke and have multiple sclerosis, you’re even sillier. The research suggests that smoking increases brain tissue shrinkage in those with MS, and could, as a result, affect the severity of their impairment. Doesn’t sound like much fun, really. Anyway, far be it from me to make judgments about others’ chosen pasttimes, however suicidal they might be, so to read more on

Hey everyone, this is a quick but quite important post – It’s been mentioned by one or two people that they’re uncomfortable with the third image on my banner above the blog, the one with the nude woman amputee. The image is actually cropped (and slightly edited) from this picture (caution: contains nudity). As far as I’m concerned, it’s a really powerful image that juxtaposes the themes of disability and beauty, two words which are very rarely mentioned in the

Last night was my first experience with the Auckland City Council’s multi-million dollar indoor entertainment venue, the Vector Arena, and I’m delighted to report that it was an incredibly positive experience! I was there to see teenagedom idols Linkin Park, who were being supported by Soundgarden and Audioslave frontman Chris Cornell. To be honest, Cornell is a bit before my time, and while the crowd seemed to be enjoying his set, you could tell there was a touch of politeness

Figures released today by Statistics New Zealand and reported by nzcity.co.nz show that over 600,000, or around 14% of New Zealanders have some sort of disability. These figures include specifics such as: Over 166,000 New Zealand adults have a disability which has been caused by an accident or injury 10% of children are considered disabled Two-thirds of those over the age of 15 who have a disability have a physical impairment Most interestingly, the report says that 45% of adults

I know that’s what I was thinking, until forum user KiwiJenn introduced me to Electric Wheelchair Sports! Jenn, who runs the Invacare boards, is part of the national electric wheelchair sports team, the NZ Powerblacks, who compete in Australia once each year in the National Electric Wheelchair Sports tournament. Electric wheelchair sports comprise three different games, all modified for power chair users. Rugby League: Where players call each others numbers while passing a ‘virtual ball’, and conversions are done by

And you thought it was just those crazy poms who want to stop those with disabilities having babies – oh no, it’s happening right here on our front doorstep, too. An intellectually disabled woman, pregnant for the third time in as many years, is “incapable of looking after herself, let alone a baby”, according to the woman’s ‘Aunty’ (not blood-related), and should be sterilised. The BOP Times are reporting that she is currently living on the streets of Auckland, which

Dig your teeth into this one folks, coz it’s juicy. The BBC is reporting that mother of 15-year old Katie Thorpe, who lives in Essex, England, wants her daughter to have a hysterectomy in order to “improve her quality of life”. Katie has quite severe cerebral palsy, and is unable to communicate verbally, which, her mother believes, could make life very embarrassing once she began menstruating. If it goes ahead, it would be the first time a voluntary hysterectomy has